It’s over! The sixth annual zombie movie marathon month has drawn to a close. As usual, I am left loving zombies more than when I began, which is proof positive that zombies are best in large doses. Anyway, enough bullshit, let’s talk about the last four films, shall we?
Harold’s Going Stiff
It’s another faux documentary from the U.K. They seem to love them. This one posits a disease called ORD that makes people stiff and causes mental deterioration, eventually resulting in a lumbering, violent “zombie” running around. Then some laddish fuckwits go around killing the zombies. The story focuses on the first known victim of the disease, and eventually on his relationship with his nurse/physical therapist. It’s a decent movie, maybe a bit slow, but different in a good way. Like most of these faux docs, they do kind of break the frame a bit, putting in shots and scenes that no documentary could ever actually manage, but maybe that only bothers me because I watch so many documentaries… It’s a small quibble, but worth mentioning. Overall, the film is solid, if not entirely remarkable. Worth a look, though.
The Revenant
Hey, I already reviewed The Revenant! I saw it years ago, in two different cuts, via a screener and at a film festival. This version is yet another cut, the final one that appears on the retail Bluray. Honestly, it is the worst of the three cuts. It still needs to be a bit shorter, and there are some annoying and intrusive musical cues that need to go. Plus an unnecessary intro scene, but that is no big deal. Still a good movie, but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much this time around.
Maniac Cop 2
A cop that got framed comes back from the dead to kill cops, and pretty much anyone else who gets in his way or looks at him cross eyed. That is also the plot of the first Maniac Cop, in case you were wondering. It’s vintage ’80s sleaze and violence, without much in the way of distinguishing features apart from an impossibly young Bruce Campbell, who is in it for ten minutes or so. Not terrible, but not special either. Still, if Maniac Cop left you with unanswered questions, this one will … well, it won’t answer them, but maybe you’ll enjoy it anyway.
Shaun of the Dead
A lot of these films get worse each time I watch them (a frequent theme in this year’s marathon) but not Shaun of the Dead. It just gets better and better. This is one of my top five zombie movies of all time. Maybe top three. Layered with references to the films that precede it, full of whipcrack wit and great action set pieces, and genuinely touching, this is simply one of the very best zombie movies ever. Good for noobs. Good for old-school fans. Good for everyone. There is no better way to end a zombie movie marathon.
That’s it! I’ll be back in a day or so with a wrap up, featuring the best, worst, and weirdest of the marathon. Until then!
